The horrors of owning a Ford

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › The horrors of owning a Ford - my story

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#1806703 26-Jun-2017 00:31

I have owned a ford festiva back in the mid 90's, but I believe it was made by Kia, and it was essentially a mazda 121. But in terms of reliability it was fine, and cheap to run. But not great handling and limited power. But have no regrets owning it.

Have also owned a Mazda bounty ute, which I believe is identical to the Ford Ranger or Explorer ute. Also a good overall car, but I believe that one was built in Thailand.

dafman

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#1806775 26-Jun-2017 09:44

Technofreak:

I don't know where you get the crap quality idea from. I've owned 4 Holdens over the past 37 years or so and run up high mileages. They have been excellent motor vehicles and utterly reliable. Several family members have had Holdens during this time and I'm sure they'd all say they'd buy Holden again.

A couple of years ago, I drove my Holden to Waikanae for a weekend beach trip. Had to take the train back home, then return a couple of days later to collect the $300 from the car wrecker who was relieving me of my Holden lying dead outside the Waikanae Beach Four Square. Only 10 years young, owned since new, 150km and regularly serviced.

I said it then, I'll never buy Holden again.

MikeAqua

7773 posts

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#1806782 26-Jun-2017 10:04

I used to have responsibility for R&M a rental car fleet (about 150 vehicles).

Ford were by far the worst cars to operate from a reliability perspective (although very cheap at fleet prices).

Three issues really: -

1) Falcons etc were unreliable;

2) Fords that were actually Mazdas were mechanically reliable but festooned with 'Ford' stuff that fell off;

3) Ford technicians did not seem to now how to diagnose faults with Ford cars.

Mike

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#1806867 26-Jun-2017 12:01

I can attest to no 3.
Relative's car:
Ford Fiesta at 7 years old started throwing all kinds of codes and lost power when driving long distance.

Ford tech Invercargill said nothing wrong. After a few visits one tech said they've been driving at past the red line for hours. Which they didn't. No fix.

I keep telling them it must be a sensor malfunction. Nobody listens. Relatives are a muddled type. They just don't drive it over long distance. I'm so frustrated coz i smell an easy fix.

Dingbatt

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#1806931 26-Jun-2017 13:00

joker97: I can attest to no 3.
Relative's car:
Ford Fiesta at 7 years old started throwing all kinds of codes and lost power when driving long distance.

Ford tech Invercargill said nothing wrong. After a few visits one tech said they've been driving at past the red line for hours. Which they didn't. No fix.

I keep telling them it must be a sensor malfunction. Nobody listens. Relatives are a muddled type. They just don't drive it over long distance. I'm so frustrated coz i smell an easy fix.

When my Maxima started producing engine fault codes and going into limp mode, it was intermittent, so in the same way a toothache disappears when you enter the dentist's waiting room, they were unable to diagnose the cause. They could see it was something to do with the throttle body by the fault codes, so they changed it (not cheap). Good to go, we set off from Auckland on a family holiday. Just short of Hamilton the fault reappeared and we managed to limp our way to the Nissan dealer in Te Rapa. We arrived about closing time, the workshop Foreman tested it, same fault codes, working okay at that stage but took it for a test drive. Towards the end of the drive the fault reoccurred and he immediately said "okay I've seen this before". Turned out to be a broken wire in the loom between the ECU and throttle body.
Although we were lucky to have struck someone who had seen the fault before, what happened next is what really impressed me. He said "let me make a phone call". When he returned he told me he had put the hard word on Nissan NZ and they were going to find and fix the wiring fault at no cost to me, and provide us with a loan vehicle to continue on our journey. We stayed locally and the Maxima was fixed by lunchtime the next day.

The Maxima was well out of warranty (8 years old) so I was really impressed both by the way Jim Wright Nissan treated us and Nissan NZ for owning the problem and resolving it. Whether the bill was sent to the Auckland dealer that had 'fixed it' in the first place, I don't know. I did go out of my way to communicate with both the Dealer Principal at JWN and Nissan NZ to tell them how impressed I was at the way I had been looked after.

Maybe the intermittent nature of the fault in your rellie's car is being caused by something similar?

“We’ve arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. Carl Sagan 1996

Wiggum

1199 posts

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#1806990 26-Jun-2017 13:54

When we were kids growing up we use to use the following expression for F.O.R.D

Found on rubbish dump.

The only car on the streets thats worse than a Ford IMO is a Holden (its HOL DEN... Together)

Fred99

13684 posts

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#1807087 26-Jun-2017 16:31

I don't think the CGA works very well in NZ to protect buyers of new cars from the result of defects, firstly it gets complicated, then often the car has changed hands and out of warranty by the time the defect causes serious $$$ problems.

In the USA, they're somewhat more litigious, much larger market, so "class action" against makers is hanging over their heads. Here in NZ, I get the feeling that some of the makers/franchises are laughing.

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dafman

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#1807146 26-Jun-2017 18:25

Wiggum:

When we were kids growing up we use to use the following expression for F.O.R.D

Found on rubbish dump.

The only car on the streets thats worse than a Ford IMO is a Holden (its HOL DEN... Together)

When we were kids ...

Found on racetrack dead

Fix or repair daily

jonathan18

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#1807353 27-Jun-2017 08:30

dafman:

Wiggum:

When we were kids growing up we use to use the following expression for F.O.R.D

Found on rubbish dump.

The only car on the streets thats worse than a Ford IMO is a Holden (its HOL DEN... Together)

When we were kids ...

Found on racetrack dead

Fix or repair daily

From when my father was young -

Q: What's the time when two Fords pass one another?

A: Tin past tin

phanw

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#1807362 27-Jun-2017 08:49

jonathan18:

dafman:

Wiggum:

When we were kids growing up we use to use the following expression for F.O.R.D

Found on rubbish dump.

The only car on the streets thats worse than a Ford IMO is a Holden (its HOL DEN... Together)

When we were kids ...

Found on racetrack dead

Fix or repair daily

From when my father was young -

Q: What's the time when two Fords pass one another?

A: Tin past tin

the joke is so bad that it's so good! hhaah

Smithy100

180 posts

Master Geek

#1807384 27-Jun-2017 09:17

tdgeek:

We have a 2007 Accord Euro, bought in 2008 at 18k. Serviced by Honda NZ. Its an old car now, now 95k, but looks modern, 100% reliable, perfectly nice car, and no gouging by Honda NZ. Ive been to the US many times. They hate US cars. Honda as it happen is premium, as is Toyota. I read the other day that KIA is seen by US citizens as top quality. They do it well in Japan and Korea

My 2006 (NZ new) Accord Euro has done 220-odd kms and is as reliable as, erm... something that's really blimmin reliable. I've had it for around 18mths; bought from an older guy in the 'rapa at 180 odd kms who did his own servicing - Honda NZ confirmed it had been well serviced up 'til 2010 and I've since had it serviced @ Honda in L/Hutt and received good value and great service.

Would buy again.

(Oh, and if anyone wants a good reliable, NZ new car for around $5k let me know - I'm soon upgrading).

Coil

6614 posts

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#1807396 27-Jun-2017 09:34

Smithy100:

tdgeek:

We have a 2007 Accord Euro, bought in 2008 at 18k. Serviced by Honda NZ. Its an old car now, now 95k, but looks modern, 100% reliable, perfectly nice car, and no gouging by Honda NZ. Ive been to the US many times. They hate US cars. Honda as it happen is premium, as is Toyota. I read the other day that KIA is seen by US citizens as top quality. They do it well in Japan and Korea

My 2006 (NZ new) Accord Euro has done 220-odd kms and is as reliable as, erm... something that's really blimmin reliable. I've had it for around 18mths; bought from an older guy in the 'rapa at 180 odd kms who did his own servicing - Honda NZ confirmed it had been well serviced up 'til 2010 and I've since had it serviced @ Honda in L/Hutt and received good value and great service.

Would buy again.

(Oh, and if anyone wants a good reliable, NZ new car for around $5k let me know - I'm soon upgrading).

BMW E46 NZ New 325 or 330.

Smithy100

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#1807399 27-Jun-2017 09:39

TimA:

BMW E46 NZ 325 or 330.

Quite possibly - or a good E39 530 or 540.

tdgeek

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#1807400 27-Jun-2017 09:40

I think the trend here is that whoever loathes one brand and wont buy again due to a bad experience is matched by another that will, as they had a good experience. Also applies to vacuums, hot water bottles, computers, and so on, ad infinitum

Coil

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#1807410 27-Jun-2017 09:51

Smithy100:

TimA:

BMW E46 NZ 325 or 330.

Quite possibly - or a good E39 530 or 540.

E39 530's are a good car. Just make sure its nz new, station wagon, air suspension has been overhauled or doesnt leak.
540 not so much, prone to missfires and timing chain issues. Also leak like savages.
I would pickup an E39 5 series very happily at the moment.

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